How ASUU strike turns A 400L University Student to become a Newspaper Vendor

From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

A 400L Computer Science Student with the Federal University Lokoja, (FUL), Thomas Kehinde has decried the prolonged strike of Academic Staff Union  of Universities (ASUU)
that forced him into sales of newspapers for survival.

Kehinde in an exclusive interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, said the ASUU strike has turned him into an emergency newspaper vendor just to survive
insisting that both the academic body and the government are playing games with the lives and future of Nigerian youths.

“Kehinde who is from Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State told our reporter that, “my parents fed from hand to mouth just to see me through school in pursuance of my academic dream of becoming a great computer scientist but with this unending strike of ASUU, how soon can my dream come true?” he asked.

According to him, his hopes of graduating from the University in his four years course  in 2020 has been dashed by the tussle between  the Federal Government and the Academic Union pointing out that he decided to venture into newspaper business to avoid seating at home or engage in any social vices.

“The last nine months have been so hectic. I thought I would be saying goodbye to the university by the end of 2020, but that hope has been shattered. Can you imagine, ASUU and the government are treating Nigerian Students as if we are not part of this country.”

” You would recall that, most of the people that participated in the #EndSARS protests were students. This is because they were idle.”

“As for me, I won’t blame our leaders for treating us like trash. How many of the big men and the top government official has children in a public Nigeria University.?”

“As for me, I will continue with my newspaper business, with the hope that the Federal Government and ASUU will come to a truce. I don’t want to drag the name of my family into the mud, so I decided to do this business for survival” he concluded.

Although, some of my friend have been mocking me, including  some of my course mates  that I am selling newspaper,  I still don’t care. It is better to do a legitimate business of selling newspaper, than engaging in armed robbery, or kidnapping,  just to satisfy my immediate needs” he stated.

He described the over nine old ASUU strike as unfair, appealing to the aggrieved bodies to sheath their swords and allow students return to class room.